The epidemiology and service implications of congenital and constitutional anomalies in ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom.

The literature on the incidence in the UK of congenital and constitutional anomalies in populations deriving from Africa, the Caribbean, the Far East, the Indian subcontinent and the Mediterranean is reviewed. These groups represent an increasing proportion of the whole child population. Comparison with the white population and between groups reveals that the burden of impairment varies with country of origin. Some of the reasons implicated include different gene frequencies and mating patterns, age/parity distribution and uptake of preventive services. Comparisons with prevalence at birth in the countries of origin are made where possible. In general, populations with high rates in their country of origin retain their high rates (e.g. central nervous system anomalies among births to parents deriving from the Indian subcontinent). There is a general lack of data on the prevalence of handicapping conditions such as cerebral palsy, as well as the associated health needs and service utilisation amongst ethnic minorities.